The body degenerates: the soul regenerates
Thomas Bourne
Founder & Chief Ecosystem Officer @ Greenheart | Sustainability Strategy, B Corp Certification, Regenerative Leadership
I need to start with an apology: to all the friends, colleagues and clients for whom I've shown up this week as less than my best self. Thanks to yet another slipped disc I've been tired, distracted and irritable and it sucks. I've not been fully present and, in some cases, haven't been present at all. I'm sorry.
But as I rolled around on the floor like a beetle this morning trying to put my socks on, I reflected. When it first happened I remember vividly the surgeon using the word 'degenerative' to describe the state of my back.
I spend my whole life saying that 'sustainability is not enough', 'to be resilient our businesses need to be regenerative'. Businesses: yes, nature: yes, societies and nations: yes.
When it comes to the body it's impossible of course. The vessels carrying us through this life can never be, in themselves, sustainable let alone regenerative. Once an apple is picked it can't get crunchier or yummier over time - it can only degrade and then become food for other beings in its biosphere. That's as it should be - the nutrient cycle and ecosystem interdependence in action.
And so it is with us: the more 'degenerative' my body feels the more urgently I feel the need to nourish my biosphere, to support and drive the work of my incredible colleagues at Greenheart so that we - as human vessels - are giving back more than we take.
You probably deserve a second apology: nobody needs anything quite so morbidly philosophical on a Friday morning. For those who've taken something from it, thank you!
Thomas Bourne it’s all about adaptation. I had a back operation when I was 30. Quite a big thing and was given the polite warning I would be heading towards a titanium brace fitted in and around L4 and L5 given the degenerative scoliosis I had. Regular physio, yoga, Pilates and the use of heels on pain of death (avoid those Tom??) have resulted, so far, in no second major back operation. Anything is possible if we’re willing to adapt and put in the hard miles. Yes, we may live with a degree of white noise (I wouldn’t say I’ve been pain free at all) but we live and we can learn to thrive. The issue we face is that of the human condition which, in western culture, has become programmed for convenience. Effort is seen as very 1950s. Psychologically we’re not prepared for the shift in behaviours and attitude required to address the challenges we face. We seek quick fixes and Elastoplast solutions. And repeat the same mistakes over and over again. But you, Sir, are not like that! So, getting back to your back problems, drop me a line if you’d like to shoot the breeze and swap ‘have you tried this’ stories ?? I’ve an arsenal of solutions that work for me so always happy to share in the hope they may provide some relief ????
Co-chair B Lab Global, Trustee of Thirty Percy Foundation; Trustee of Global Action Plan (GAP)
11 个月So sorry to read that you are laid up Thomas : leave off the cobbled roads and the go-carting in the Highlands for a little longer. And someone needs to invent a very good sock putter on-er. Most are pretty complicated to use. Get better soon, Tom.
Purpose Driven Chief Creative Officer / Brand Advisor / Board Member / Mentor / Speaker / Fluent in Brand + Agency / Former Walmart + Disney
11 个月Feel better, Thomas. I'm hopeful we can apply regenerative principles to the way we work, leaving people better than we find them. Time and space to rest and recover. To be more creative. To learn and grow. Cheers to aging gracefully. Now let me go take some advil for my sore shoulder after my paddle ball game.
Founder at Green Element, Compare Your Footprint & Sustainability Solved Media (Open to Non Exec Positions)
11 个月Brilliant. I am so sorry about your back but this still brought a smile....